Spencer Pratt is escalating his political war against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, accusing the embattled Democrat of “illegally gaming the election” after appearing near ballot drop boxes in campaign-style social media videos.
The former MTV reality television star — once best known for “The Hills” alongside wife Heidi Montag — has rapidly reinvented himself as one of Bass’s loudest critics following the catastrophic Palisades fire that destroyed his home last year. Now, Pratt is channeling that growing public profile into a longshot mayoral bid that is gaining traction among frustrated Angelenos furious over crime, homelessness, rising costs, and what many see as failed Democratic leadership at City Hall.
According to The Hill, Pratt’s attorney filed a formal complaint Tuesday with Los Angeles City Clerk Patrice Lattimore, demanding an investigation into Bass for alleged “illegal electioneering.” The complaint centers on social media footage showing Bass greeting supporters and appearing near ballot drop boxes while promoting her campaign.
“She is so accustomed to breaking the law with no accountability, she even filmed herself doing it,” Pratt wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Well, those days are over. We just filed a formal complaint for illegally gaming the election. We must protect our democracy,” according to The Hill.
Pratt also shared video footage showing Bass interacting with voters while ballots were being deposited. In one clip, Bass approaches a stroller carrying a child holding a sign reading “Babies 4 Bass.”
“Electioneering within 100 feet of a ballot box is AGAINST THE LAW,” Pratt posted. “Soliciting votes at a ballot box is AGAINST THE LAW. These clear violations show a reckless disregard for the rule of law and our democratic process.”
California election law prohibits campaign activity within 100 feet of polling locations and ballot drop boxes, including displaying campaign materials, candidate names, or logos intended to influence voters.
Pratt’s increasingly aggressive political messaging marks a dramatic evolution from his reality-TV past. Since losing his home in the Palisades fire, he has become a relentless critic of Bass’s leadership, blaming city officials for what he describes as catastrophic incompetence and failed emergency management.
He has also hammered Bass over Los Angeles’s homelessness crisis, which exploded during the tenure of former Democrat Mayor Eric Garcetti and remains one of the defining political issues in the city.
In a recent interview with ABC 7 Los Angeles, Pratt argued that many homeless individuals in Los Angeles “choose to be homeless” and mocked progressive West Coast leadership by suggesting they relocate to Seattle, where newly elected socialist Mayor Katie Wilson would “welcome them.”
At the same time, Pratt has built a massive online following by blending internet culture, celebrity notoriety, and anti-establishment political attacks. His social media feeds regularly feature AI-generated videos portraying Bass as a comic-book-style villain alongside dystopian depictions of Los Angeles under progressive rule.
One viral ad showed Pratt dressed in Batman-inspired armor battling masked guards labeled “DSA” — a reference to the Democratic Socialists of America — while residents hurled tomatoes at Bass.
Bass previously condemned the videos, warning they were “taking on a violent trend,” according to The Hill.
Despite the mounting criticism, Bass continues defending her record, pointing to an 18 percent decline in homelessness and the construction of more than 42,000 affordable housing units citywide.
Still, Pratt’s rise reflects growing voter frustration in deep-blue Los Angeles, where public anger over homelessness, public safety, and government dysfunction has created unexpected openings for outsider candidates willing to directly confront the city’s Democratic political machine.
Though Pratt remains a political underdog, his celebrity name recognition, viral online presence, and unapologetically confrontational style are helping transform him from reality-TV punchline into a surprisingly influential voice in Los Angeles politics.
READ NEXT: Journalist Mocked After Suggesting NYC Mayor Should Intervene In Vegan Cream Cheese Crisis
